RE: RC: RE: Long toe, low heel

["Kathy Mayeda" <kathy_mayeda@atce.com>]

Thanks for the clarification.  I've been beat over the head too many
times with the hoof wall angles with regards to the P1-P2-P3 alignment,
but never with respect to the BOTTOM of the coffin bone.  The angles
were looked at in terms of the midline of the bones and joints.
Learned somthing new.  Thanks.

Kathy

-----Original Message-----
From: CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com [mailto:CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2000 1:20 PM
To: kathy_mayeda@atce.com; rquestarabians@aol.com; helgeson@ndak.net;
ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: Re: RC: RE: Long toe, low heel


In a message dated Tue, 12 Dec 2000 12:41:56 PM Eastern Standard Time,
"Kathy Mayeda" <kathy_mayeda@atce.com> writes:

<< Oh my gawd - do you actually want the coffin bone to be parallel to
the ground?  Sounds like a ligament breakdown waiting to happen.
The angle you should be concerned with is the fetlock, pastern and
coffin bones should be all aligned. NOT PARALLEL TO THE GROUND.>>

I think there is some misunderstanding here about what is meant by having
the coffin bone parallel to the ground.  The coffin bone is the bone that is
actually inside the hoof, and is shaped somewhat like a hoof itself.  You
can't see the coffin bone--you can only visualize it on an x-ray.  But yes,
the bottom surface of the coffin bone should be pretty much parallel with
the ground and the front angle of it should be parallel with the front
outside wall of the hoof, in a healthy hoof.  When "rotation" of the coffin
bone occurs due to founder, the front of the coffin bone pulls away from the
hoof wall, causing the coffin bone to "rotate" on the second pastern bone,
the toe of the coffin bone to point downward, the front of the coffin bone
to diverge away from the hoof angle, and the heel of the coffin bone to move
upward relative to the ground.  With improper hoof angles, the front of the
coffin bone and the front of the hoof wall will still be parallel, but the
bottom surface!
 will no longer be parallel to t

he ground.  With long-toe-low-heel, the toe of the coffin bone angles
somewhat upward from parallel, putting a tremendous strain on the suspensory
apparatus and flexor tendons as they are all stretched too far each time the
foot lands.  With the toes too short and the heels too long, the heel of the
coffin bone is somewhat above parallel, putting strain on the sensitive
laminae in the hoof where the coffin bone attaches to the inside of the
wall.

Heidi